Process of making relief-effect printing-plates.



No. 718,842. PATBNTED JAN. 20, 1903.

W. A. HINNERS. PROCESS OF MAKING RELIEF EFFECT PRINTING PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1902.

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\VILLIAM A. IIINNERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF MAKING RELIEF-EFFECT PRINTING-PLATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,842, dated January 20, 1903. Application filed June 26, 1902. Serial No. 1 l3,239. (N0 specimens.)

To all 1071,0171. it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, WILLI M A. HINNERS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Making Relief-EffectPrinting-Plates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to half-tone plates or engravings; and the object thereof is to produce a printing-plate by which letters or figures in line or other drawing may be so reproduced as to give the effect of having been modeled in relief in clay or other plastic material.

My invention may be illustrated by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 shows an inscription in plain black letters on a flat background. Fig. 2 is a negative intaglio-plate reproduced therefrom having letters bitten or incised as shown in Fig. 3, which is a section thereof on the line 3 3. Fig. l shows the face, and Fig. 5 a section on the line 5 5, of a sheet of plastic material after being applied to the plate shown in Fig. 2 under pressure orsimilar treatment.

Fig. 6 represents a half-tone reproduction of the sheet shown in Fig. 4.

My invention involves as a first step the reproduction of the desired design or object on a metallic or other printing-plate. In the practice thereof any design or lettering is drawn, printed, or otherwise prepared, no attention being paid to shading. The latter is not required, and the whole design may appear flat on a plain background, as illus trated in Fig. 1. Such drawing thus .prepared or other desired object may be photographed to the desired size, the negative developed, and a positive on glass or other translucent material printed therefrom, or, if preferred, the negative may be exposed before the lens of the camera and a second negative obtained, which will be positive as to the original object. A plate, which may be ofzinc or other suitable material coated with a sensitized printing emulsion, is then exposed to the action of light under the glass positive. The image on this plate is then developed or fixed, according to the character of the emulsion used, producing a negative print of the original drawing orother object. The background of this negative print or outline produced as above or by any other method on the plate may then be covered with a suitable resist and the plate subjected to the action of an etching fluid, which acts on the portions of the plate corresponding to the letters or figures of the original drawing or object. In practice I have used an emulsion on a metallic plate which depends on the property of a bichromated solution of albumin or gelatin to become insoluble in water after being subjected to the action of light. When the emulsion-covered plate is exposed under the translucent positive or otherwise, the parts corresponding to the design not being acted upon by the light remain soluble, while the background becomes insoluble. The plate is then dried, thoroughly inked, and washed to remove the soluble parts of the coating. Dragons blood or other similar resinous substance being then dusted over the plate it adheres to the inked portions comprising the background. Upon heating the plate the particles adhere thereto and to each other, forming a homogeneous resist. The plate may then be subjected to the action of an etching fluid until the letters or figures are bitten to a depth corresponding to the amount of relief which itis desired to representin the finished print. The etching process may be supplemented by mechanical means as a finish, or it may be substituted entirely therefor. The best results ordinarily will be obtained by the use of the etching fluid, the use of the router or graver being restricted to reducing any inequalities, which may be the result of unequal action of the acid or lack of uniformity in the material of the plate. When this part of the process is completed, I have a negative reproduction of the original drawing deeply bitten or incised in the metal, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. This intaglio-plate should then be freed from the resist and acid. A coating of any suitable plastic material is then placed over the face of the intaglio-plate and by pressure or other manipulation so Worked as to force portions of the same into I prefer, however,

the depressions thereof.

to use a sheet or number of sheets of unsized paper or other fibrous material thoroughly softened or moistened. This, with a suitable backing of yielding material, is then subjected to heavy pressure. The portions of the plastic paper above the incised or eroded letters or figures are forced thereinto. When the pressure is removed and the sheets of paper dried, they separate readily from the plate, giving a raised reproduction of the outlines of the original design or object, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. The texture of the raised portions will depend upon the material used, a smooth or fine-grained paper giving smooth and rounded effect.s,while a coarsegrained paper will reproduce the effect of modeling by hand in clay or other plastic material with breadth and freedom of treatment. In the absence of machinery for producing heavy pressure similar results may be obtained by forcing the fibrous material into the depressions of the plate by a beating brush or hammer in a manner similar to the method of obtaining a matrix in the process of stereotyping. The relief or representation in cameo of the originaldrawing may now be photographed for the final step of the process, which is the production by ordinary and well-known means of a photo-engraved printing-plate; The effect of such reproduction may be illustrated by Fig. 6, which represents an impression from a plate prepared by a half-tone process. The light may be thrown upon the modeled surface from either side or from above or below, so as to produce shadows as desired, and other means of handling the object may be used by a photographer skilled in the art of half-tone and other reproduction, by which high artistic effects may be produced in all respects equal to the best results that maybe obtained by the much more expensive process of hand-modeling in clay or other similar material.

The final step of the process above de scribed may be varied, if desired, by making a positive photograph of the relief or cameo impression of the eroded or incised plate. This photograph may be treated like an ordinary drawing and such ornamentation added or variations thereof made as, the skill or taste of the artist may dictate. When thus completed, it may be used as an object from which as a whole a half-tone or other plate may be produced which will combine the relief effects with such other artistic variations as may have been introduced into the photograph.

The application of my invention is not to be limited to the specific materialsused, the means employed, or the steps described in the foregoing specification, which, as set out, will produce complete and practical results.

I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in producing a negative print of a design or object on a plate, removing the portions corresponding to the object, impressing plastic material therein to reproduce the object, and reproducing the relief by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

2. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in producing a negative print of a design or object on a metallic plate, protecting the background with a resist, removing the non-resist-covered portions with an etching fluid, impressing plastic material therein to reproduce the object in relief, and reproducing the relief by photoengraving, substantially as set forth.

3. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in producing a negative of a design or object, taking a translucent positive therefrom, making a negative print from the positive on a suitable plate, removing the portions of the plate corresponding to the object, impressing plastic material therein to reproduce the object in relief, and reproducing the relief by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

4. The process of making a reliefeffect printing-plate which consists in producing a negative of a design or object, taking a translucent positive therefrom, making a negative print from the positive on a metallic plate, protecting the background with a resist, removing the non-resist-covered portions of the plate with an etching fluid, impressing plastic material therein to reproduce the object in relief, and reproducing the relief by photoengraving, substantially as set forth.

5. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in photographically producing a negative print of a design or object on a plate, removing the portions corresponding totheobject,impressingplastic material therein to reproduce the object, and reproducing the relief by photoengraving, substantially as set forth.

6. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in photographically producing a negative print of a design or object on a metallic plate, protecting the background with a resist, removing the nonresist-covered portions With an etching fluid, impressing plastic material therein to reproduce the object in relief, and reproducing the relief by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

7. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in producing a photographic negative of a design or object, taking a translucent positive therefrom, making a negative print from the positive on a suitable plate, removingthe portions of the plate corresponding to the object, impressing plastic material therein to reproduce the object in relief, and reproducing the relief by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

8. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in producing a photographic negative of a design or object, taking a translucent positive therefrom, making a negative print from the positive on a metallic plate, protecting the background with a resist, removing the non-resist-covered portions of the plate with an etching fluid, impressing plastic material therein to reproduce the object in relief, and reproducing the relief by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

9. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in photographically producing a negative print of the desired object on a metallic plate, protecting the background with a resist, removing the non-resist-covered portion of the plate with an etching fluid, placing plastic fibrous material over the plate, subjecting the whole to pressure whereby a relief of the depressions in the plate is formed in the plastic fibrous material, and reproducing the relief by photoengraving, substantially as set forth.

10. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in photographically producing a negative print of the desired object on a metallic plate, protecting the background with a resist, removing the nonresist-covered portion of the plate with an etching fluid, placing fibrous material over the plate, subjecting the whole to pressure whereby a relief of the depressions in the plate is formed in the fibrous material photographing the relief, and reproducing the photograph by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

11. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in photographically producing a negative print of the desired object on a metallic plate, protecting the background with a resist, removing the non-resist-covered portion of the plate with an etching fluid, placing fibrous material over the plate, subjecting the whole to pressure whereby a relief of the depressions in the plate is formed in the fibrous material, photographing the relief, modifying the photograph as desired, and reproducing the modified photograph by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

12. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in producing a photographic negative of the desired object, taking a translucent positive therefrom, making a negative print from the positive on a metallic plate, protecting the background with a resist, removing the non-resist-covered portions of the plate with an etching fluid, placing fibrous material over the plate, subjecting the whole to pressure whereby a relief of the depressions in the plate is formed in the fibrous material, and reproducing the relief by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

13. The process of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in producing a photographic negative of the desired object, taking a translucent positive therefrom,making a negative print from the positive on a metallic plate, protecting the background with a resist, removing the non-resist-covered portions of the plate with an etching fluid, placing fibrous material over the plate, subjecting the whole to pressure whereby a relief of the depressions in the plate is formed in the fibrous material, photographing the relief, and reproducing the photograph by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

14. The process of making a relief-efiect printing-plate which consists in producing a photographic negative of the desired object, taking a translucent positive therefrom, making a negative print from the positive on a metallic plate, protecting the background with a resist, removing the non-resist-covered portions of the plate with an etching fluid, placing fibrous material over the plate, subjecting the whole to pressure whereby a relief of the depressions in the plate is formed in the fibrous material, photographing the relief, modifying the photograph as desired, and reproducing the modified photograph by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

15. The method of makinga relief-effect printing-plate which consists in forming a matrix containing a depressed reproduction of an object or design, producing arelief therefrom in plastic material, and reproducing the same by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

16. The method of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in forming a matriX containing a depressed negative reproduct-ion of anobject or design, producing a relief therefrom in plastic material, and reproducing the same by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

17. The method of making a relief-effect pri ntingplate which consists in forminga matrix containing a depressed reproduction of an object or design, producing a relief therefrom in fibrous plastic material, and reproducing the same by photo-engraving,substantially as set forth.

18. The method of making a relief-effect printingplate which consists in forming a matrix containing a depressed negative reproduction of an object or design, producing a relief therefrom in fibrous plastic material, and reproducing the same by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

19. The method of making a relief-efiect printing-plate which consists in forminga matrix containing a depressed reproduction of an object or design, making a paper relief therefrom, and reproducing the same by photoengraving, substantially as set forth.

20. The method of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in forming a matrix containing a depressed negative reproduction of an object or design, making a paper ICC IIO

relief therefrom, and reproducing the same by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth.

21. The method of making a relief-effect printing-plate which consists in forming a matriX containing a depressed reproduction of an object or design, producing a relief therefrom in plastic material, photographing the relief, modifying the photograph, and reproducing the photograph by photo-engraving, substantially as set forth. :0

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of June, 1902.

WM. A. I-IINNERS.

Witnesses:

J. LENHART SHILLING, HERMAN C. LAMMERS. 

